Today, we celebrate the life of a kind, intelligent, and quietly passionate man. Caleb “Cal” Clark lost his fight against cancer on September 13 of 2023 in Steilacoom, Washington at the age of 78.
Interestingly, given his later career as a political scientist, Cal was born in Washington D.C. on June 6 of 1945 to proud parents Grace Amanda Kautzmann Clark and Tanner Morgan Clark, while his father was stationed there during World War II. Cal grew up as a single child in New Jersey. He started his higher educational journey, which continued throughout his life, by earning his Bachelor’s of Art in Government from Beloit College in 1966. While pursuing his PhD in political science from the University of Illinois, he met and married Janet M. Sentz in 1968 and adopted her young daughter, Emily, as his own. Together, the family celebrated Cal completing his PhD studies in 1973. He remained a lifelong academic, teaching at New Mexico State University, the University of Wyoming, Chung Yuan Christian University, Tunghai University, and Auburn University over the next forty years.
Unsatisfied with only teaching, Cal left his mark on every school and department he worked in. He served as Director of International Studies at the University of Wyoming 1982-86/1991-92, during which time he developed a new curriculum for the undergraduate program and received a grant from the US Department of Education for program development. As Department Head of Political Science at Auburn University 1992-95, Cal oversaw major curriculum and program revisions and developed a new minor program in political science. He was also a long term Director of the Master’s of Public Administration program and oversaw three accreditation cycles. In all of his administrative roles, he acted as a bridge between students and his fellow faculty to open lines of communication and foster an open learning environment.
As a devoted mentor to his students, Cal received a number of accolades including six Teaching Awards for top professor; the Auburn University Mentoring Award in Minority Achievement 2007; and the College of Liberal Arts Advising Award in Excellence 2004. He served on countless thesis and PhD committees, was an avid mentor to students and faculty, and was a generous scholar who would go on to promote the careers of colleagues and students alike in his numerous co-authorships over the years to support their scholarship and futures in the academy.
Cal is probably best known for his prolific and important scholarship. He authored, co-authored, and edited a plethora of books in his numerous areas of study, including International Studies and Globalization, Taiwanese Politics, and American Politics. His groundbreaking works established him as a leader in his fields and earned him invitations to present his work to several international governments and state departments. Cal published numerous articles numbering in the hundreds. He was featured in journals, including the International Journal of Contemporary Sociology, the American Journal of Chinese Studies, and the Journal of Women and Gender Studies. He won a number of publication awards, including Best Symposium in the Policy Studies Review journal for 2000 and 2001. As an avid mystery novel enthusiast, Cal published two mystery novels of his own in his retirement.
Cal will not only be remembered for his academic achievements. His students will remember a man who inspired a passion for his field of study, and encouraged them to nurture their own interests. He stood up in the face of inequality and helped open the doors for all minorities, both within and outside the academy. He cared about his students and fellow staff members as people and provided a lifetime of support and quiet humor.
Beyond teaching and scholarship, Cal supported, some might say rabidly so, his college football and basketball teams. He was an avidly devoted Aggie, Cowboy, Tiger and Jayhawk fan. He could be heard loudly cheering, sometimes swearing, each weekend from September to March each year. The Final Four has lost one of its loudest and most enthusiastic fans.
He is survived by his wife, Janet Clark; his daughters, Emily (Raymond) Federico, Grace Ellen Clark, and Evelyn (Carlos) Benavides; as well as his five grandchildren, Malena, Alyssa, Tanner, Aria, and Roen. His family will remember him as a lover of impromptu poetry, an avid reader of mystery novels and a caring husband, father, and grandfather.
Donations can be made in his name to a scholarship fund for minority students sponsored by the Government Finance Officers Association through this link: https://estore.gfoa.org/iMIS15/Shared_Content/Fundraising/Scholarship_Donations.aspx?ItemID=MINORITIES.
Any donations made through this link will automatically be recognized as being in his honor.
To submit to the In Memoriam section of Political Science Today, please email [email protected].
